Anita Farrington Woods, M.A.

Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern

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Welcome to my professional candidacy portfolio! Here, I document my journey and commitment to academic excellence, clinical proficiency, and social justice in counselor education!

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My professional and academic journey is a reflection of two things:

1) What I chose to do.

2) What I was called and purposed to do.

While what I chose to do has benefited me even in my current career, it is what I was called and purposed to do that will bless and benefit others that is most satisfying to me.

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I joined the Counseling Education and Supervision (CES) program almost three and a half years ago. At that time all I knew was that God called me to get my Ph.D. and that my answer was yes. I wasn’t sure how this education was going to impact my life. At the end of this program I can attest that I am not only called to be a counselor but also to teach and supervise counselors in training (CIT). I now know what issues in the profession and society in which I want to advocate, and what research topics I’d like to  pour myself into and hope to publish.

 

None of this would be possible without the qualified and dedicated professors that poured their knowledge into me and mirrored what CES competency looks like. They were my models of what a counselor educator is to be. Serving the community is important to me. I will actually be part of changing the world through my servant heart, profession and pedagogy style. I hope to make my many mentors proud.  

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My academic journey and professional career over a lifetime represent two things: what I decided to do with my life and what I was called to do with my life. Though doing what I decided to do with my life has served me well in my current career, it is doing what I was called and purposed to do that will serve and equip others. I am called and purposed to be a counselor educator.  

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Since January of 2023 I have been pursuing my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and supervision. While this part of my journey has been intense, tiring, and daunting, it has also been rewarding. My Ph.D. journey has broadened my understanding and perception of the mental health clinical world, educating and supervising counselors in training (CIT), gatekeeping, professional advocacy, and research design. 

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While I spent 36 years in corporate America and had some gratifying experiences, those experiences pale in comparison to this last three years. Having professors that were fully equipped to educate, supervise and mentor and uplift me has assisted in creating a fortified foundation for me within the counseling and education profession.